Page 31 - 2022-08-01 Paddling Magazine

TO LEASH OR NOT TO LEASH? EITHER WAY, RIVER PR E SEN T S
PADDLEBOARDERS ALSO NEED TO WEAR ALL THE
ESSENTIALS OF WHITEWATER PADDLING, INCLUDING 2022 W OR L D T O UR
HELMET AND INHERENTLY BUOYANT PFD.
PHOTO: ASHLEY VOYKIN

IN THEATER EVENTS

January 27 Fort Smith Paddling Club | Fort Smith, NT
February 22 Łııdlıı Kųę First Nation | Fort Simpson, NT
February 24 Hamilton Outdoor Adventures | Hamilton, ON
February 26 Hamilton Outdoor Adventures | Hamilton, ON
February 26 NWT Recreation and Parks Association | Yellowknife, NT
March 22 The Arts Council of Big Sky & the Independent | Big Sky, MT
March 26 NEWP (Northeast Wisconsin Paddlers) | Appleton, WI
March 29 The Arts Council of Big Sky & the Independent | Big Sky, MT
March 31 Princess Cinemas | Waterloo, ON
April 9 Susquehanna Greenway Partnership | Lewisburg, PA
April 12 Vernon Paddle Centre | Vernon, BC
April 12 Paddle Junkies | Calgary, AB
April 21 Outdoor Gear Exchange | Burlington, VT
April 29 Clear Waters Outfitting | Clearwater, MN
April 30 Mountain State Overland | Lewisburg, WV
in outdoor towns globally. The risks of leashes are April 30 The Castle Theatre | Castlegar, BC
also discussed in the fledgling river surf community, May 6 Youth Outdoor Recreation Society | Penticton, BC
according to Neil Egsgard, president of the Alberta May 7 South Coast Culture Tour | Coos Bay, OR
River Surfing Association and founder of the Calgary-
based stationary wave design firm, Surf Anywhere. May 18 Resilience Adventures | Hoboken, NJ
At the waves Surf Anywhere has designed, Egs- May 21 Schuylkill River Greenways NHA | Pottstown, PA
gard’s company places signage reading: “Danger. All May 26 Tim Hortons Ottawa Dragon Boat Festival & Ottawa Wa'a | Ottawa, ON
leashes can drown river surfers. Current will not let
go. Surfer cannot release. Do not wear a leash or do June 3 Algonquin Outfitters | Huntsville, ON
have a leash auto-fail point at the body.” June 4 Huron Ladies of The Lake | Zurich, ON
“A common misconception is [quick-release] leashes June 8 Wilderness Supply | Winnipeg, MB
are always releasable,” says Egsgard. “Taking a whitewa- July 9 Wilderness Voyageurs & Mountain Watershed Association | Ohiopyle, PA
ter safety course with professionals quickly reveals re-
leasing leashes under tension can be very challenging.” July 13 Naples Outfitters | Naples, FL
Egsgard argues manual quick-release systems can July 13 Valhalla Pure Outfitters Squamish | Squamish, BC
fail and recommends river surfers and paddleboarders July 22 Outkast Paddlers | Pittsburgh, PA
wear leashes with an auto-fail point. This component, October 18 Lakeland Canoe Club | Kendal, Cumbria
such as a low-strength cord or a plastic strap, is manu-
factured to break under tension. If a paddler becomes October 24 The Prairie Summit Shop Saskatoon | Saskatoon, SK
trapped and cannot activate their quick release, this October 26 The Prairie Summit Shop Regina | Regina, SK
component will break and the paddler will float free. TBA Happy Paddling | Barrie ON
\Ultimately, there’s no one correct answer to the TBA Huron Ladies of The Lake | Zurich, ON
question of leashes on the river. Safety equipment
needs to be tailored to the specific river environ- TBA Osprey Sea and Surf | Westport MA
ment and it’s each paddler’s responsibility to get the TBA Revelstoke Paddlesports Association | Revelstoke, BC
education to make informed decisions about where TBA Upper-Gatineau Whitewater Festival | Maniwaki QC
a leash is appropriate.

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